Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

That is a reasonable assessment, as I understand it, of the Minister's interpretation of the engagement on this in the Seanad. It was, as he correctly pointed out, an attempt by Senators Wall and Moynihan to ensure that lessons that have been drawn from the SHD process could be applied to this process. It is deeply frustrating, in all our communities and constituencies, when we see developers using the SHD process to have significant developments fast-tracked through the planning process and then sitting on the sites or flipping them and making considerable gains on them while they go undeveloped. The intention of the amendment was to address the use it or lose it issue that the Minister, along with the Minister for Finance, appears to be confident will be addressed through the zoned land tax. The truth will be told when that is brought forward and we see what impact it has on developer behaviour. I reserve the right to resubmit the amendment on Report Stage.

I must apologise for not formally moving amendment No. 32. I was of the assumption that this would be a hybrid meeting and I attended the committee room a few minute's ago in an attempt to do that but was a little late. Unfortunately, I could not contribute on that amendment. I thank the secretariat for sending on the link to the meeting and I am happy to have had the opportunity to formally move this amendment. I will not press it but will reserve the right to move it again on Report Stage.